Frequently Asked Questions

From her base in Newport, you have ready access to the sheltered waters of Pittwater and, sea conditions permitting, Broken Bay, Cowan Creek and the Hawkesbury. This vast and majestic area is a cruising paradise.

See further detailed information under Gallery – Maps and Moorings

No. You don’t require a boat licence, however someone aboard needs to have some boat-driving skills and experience. The most technical sailing task is being able to safely pick up a swing mooring. We provide you with a thorough boat briefing, to ensure you are all set to cruise safely and comfortably. We also supply on-board documentation including maps for your reference. If you don’t feel comfortable driving the vessel yourself, we can provide competent crew to assist you.

Yes, our inflatable dinghy ‘Joey’ is supplied as part of your charter package. She is very stable and easy to row. An outboard motor can be hired and fitted on request.

Kangaroo has berths for up to seven passengers, consisting of six king single berths (three king single bunks in the forward cabin, one king single bunk in the mid cabin and 2 king single berths in the cockpit) and one double berth in the main saloon (dinette conversion).

Click here to see the floor plan

Kangaroo is fully equipped to cater for a maximum of 10 passengers, with sufficient cutlery, crockery, glassware, tea & coffee pots, kettle, saucepans, frying pans, plasticware, chopping boards and a large collection of kitchen utensils – just as you would find in your own kitchen at home.

Other provisions include dishwashing liquid, dishcloths and brush, disposable gloves, cling film, foil, kitchen towel, tissues, toilet paper, hand wash, sunscreen and first aid items.

On-board water is safe to drink.

You’ll also find a small selection of books, board games and cards aboard.

Click here to see the floor plan

You need to bring linen, bedding or sleeping bags, pillows, towels, personal items, food and drink, entertainment such as books and board games.

Be reminded when packing that storage and hanging space is limited on all boats and only soft bags should be used rather than suitcases.

Soft, non-slip, non-marking soled shoes are recommended for safety on board. No black soles please.

Click here to see a Checklist of what you need to bring

Yes, there is a eutectic refrigeration system (explained below) aboard Kangaroo, consisting of a bar-sized front-loading fridge and freezer in the galley and another larger top loading fridge/freezer in the cockpit.

Eutectic refrigeration is the most energy-efficient and performance-effective refrigeration system in 12VDC. Eutectic fluid is contained within the walls of the interior cabinet, acting as an “ice bank” or cold storage compound, for the contents of the cabinet. Once the eutectic fridge has been pre-chilled, the eutectic system only needs to be run for 30 minutes (via the engine) morning and evening to maintain the thermostat-controlled temperature, even in ambient temperatures of 32°C+.

The gas stove has two stove-top burners and a small grill.

Note there is no oven or BBQ.

With her spacious interior, Kangaroo is suitable for children as long as they are supervised. Children are not required by law to wear a life jacket on board. However we strongly recommend that young children wear a life vest, especially when outside the cabin area. You will need to bring your own well-fitting life jackets for any children too small to wear an adult life jacket. Be aware that the bunks do not have safety rails, so may not be suitable for some children.

You can be confident that Kangaroo meets the rigorous safety requirements of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Survey. Safety equipment includes adult life jackets, life buoys, throw line, fire buckets, fire extinguishers, fire blanket, air horn with spare canister, emergency navigation lights, stay plug, first aid kit and floating torch.

It is a legal requirement that when children under 12 years of age are in the dinghy they must wear a life jacket. Older children and adults are required by law to wear a life jacket if alone in the dinghy or at night. Adult life jackets are provided. You will need to bring your own well-fitting life jackets for any children too small to wear an adult life jacket.

Yes. Princes Street Marina, where you will board Kangaroo, has ample parking. Trollies are also provided for your convenience. Walk-on access to Kangaroo from the marina makes it easy to load your provisions and other belongings. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way.

Mobile phone coverage is usually very good throughout Pittwater, but can be less reliable within the Hawkesbury and Cowan Creek waterways. The exception is Cottage Point, where a new mobile tower has been recently installed.

Perhaps take it as a sign that you are truly on holiday! Even when mobile reception is poor, it is usually still possible to send and receive text messages.

There is no wifi aboard Kangaroo, so internet access will be reliant on using your mobile data. As explained above, mobile coverage can be patchy outside of Pittwater and Cottage Point.

No. You are not able to use 240V household appliances. To maintain adequate 12V power supply we recommend 1 to 2 hours engine running per day. A battery monitor displays the status of both the engine and house battery banks, to help you manage the on-board power supply.

Yes. Kangaroo is fitted with seven 12V USB ports, suitable for charging Smartphones and iPads. However, this voltage may not be sufficient to charge laptop computers. You may need to bring along a special adaptor for that purpose.

No. Fuel consumption is charged based on the number of engine running hours at the end of the hire.

No. Due to National Park laws and health and safety reasons we do not allow pets aboard.

Yes. There are many fabulous eateries and restaurants in the Newport/Pittwater/Hawkesbury area.
See further detailed information under Things to do – Dining out

No. All self-drive charter vessels are prohibited from travelling at night, between sunset and sunrise. As a result, it’s important to secure the vessel on a suitable swing mooring at least one hour before the forecast sunset time.

Newport and the even larger centre of Mona Vale just 5km further south, both have an excellent selection of shops.

There is also a bottle shop at The Newport.

Ice can be purchased at a variety of outlets in the area.

Palm Beach has a gourmet deli and boutique bottle shop about 150m south of the ferry wharf. There are also cafes, restaurants and an RSL Club in the Palm Beach area. Regarding mooring, contact Gonsalves Boatshed (02 9974 4409) to enquire about booking a casual mooring in the Palm Beach mooring area or Russell Walton (0417 217 739) at Palm Beach Anchorage at Sandy Beach. Alternatively moor at Coasters Retreat and travel by water taxi.

Cottage Point Kiosk includes a charming general store with essential groceries, alcohol, bait, tackle and gifts. The Kiosk provides one courtesy mooring (first come, first served basis; maximum duration 2 hours). Alternatively, there are two public moorings located near the public wharf. 

Along the Hawkesbury River you’ll also be able to purchase a limited selection of groceries in Brooklyn (Hawkesbury River Marina), Spencer and Berowra Waters.

Yes. Kangaroo is equipped with a multimedia entertainment unit which is Bluetooth enabled. It includes AM/FM radio, CD drive and MP3 player. It also has a USB input and is Smartphone compatible.  Look for KDC-BT640U under Bluetooth devices on your phone to connect.

Walk in: Mona Vale Library, Park Road, Mona Vale 02 9997 5422

On-line: Hawkesbury River Information Centre, Brooklyn
http://www.hawkesburyriverrealestate.com.au/touristinfo.php

In–print: Cruising Guide – Hawkesbury River, Cowan, Broken Bay and Pittwater. 4^th Edition by John & Jocelyn Powell (highly recommended; now unfortunately out-of-print). A copy is provided aboard Kangaroo for your use during your cruise.

Gateway Medical Centre, Level 2, 1 Mona Vale Rd, Mona Vale 9998 3400.

Alternatively, you may find calling Health Direct provides you with easy access to the medical advice you need, over the phone. Call them on 1800 022 222.

Mona Vale Hospital, Coronation Street, Mona Vale. It has an Urgent Care Centre open 24/7. Call them on 02 9998 0333.

Alternatively, you may find calling Health Direct provides you with easy access to the medical advice you need, over the phone. Call them on 1800 022 222.

Mona Vale Police Station, 1705-1707 Pittwater Road, Mona Vale. 02 9998 0699; open 24 hours.

Broken Bay Water Police, 2a McCarrs Creek Road, Church Point. 02 9979 4044; boat mobile: 0412 162 093.

Pink Water Taxi (Southern Pittwater Venues): 0428 238 190
https://pinkwatertaxis.com.au/

Palm Beach Water Taxi (Palm Beach, Cowan Creek): 0415 408 831
Mick Hardy

Hawkesbury Water Taxi (Hawkesbury, Cowan Creek, Palm Beach): 0422 300 100
https://hawkesburywatertaxi.com.au

‘Parking’ the boat on a swing mooring is analogous to parking a car.  The mooring categories are similar to car parking spaces, where you’ll find accessibility in terms of:

1. Available to the public
2. Available to certain members of the public (eg yacht clubs members)
3. Unavailable as privately owned

Moorings available to the public 

Public moorings are summarised on maps aboard Kangaroo, giving greater detail about where they are located. 

You’ll see they include:

Pink beehive courtesy moorings are provided by and maintained by Services NSW and can be used for up to 24 hours. 

Yellow beehive National Park moorings, located in 17 locations in Cowan Creek (54 in total), can also be used for up to 24 hours.

Waterfront businesses with nearby swing moorings for use under certain arrangements are detailed under ‘Things to do – Dining out’.

Moorings with limited public availability

In the less accessible bays, including Towlers Bay, Coasters Retreat (bay next to The Basin), Refuge Bay and America Bay, the multitude of moorings are mostly ‘owned’ by clubs or syndicate groups for the occasional use of their members. They are typically used at the weekends and during key holiday periods with the peak time being Christmas through to the middle of January).

If you pick up one of these moorings and you’re not a member of the nominated club, there is always a chance an owner could arrive and ask you to vacate at any time. For this reason, you mustn’t leave the vessel there unattended and you must be ready to move the vessel if requested. Don’t be fooled into thinking someone will happily forego tying up to ‘their mooring’, even if there are other vacant moorings aplenty!

Also bear in mind that you don’t know how well these ‘occasional’ moorings are looked after and when they were last serviced. Inspect the state of the mooring line before deciding to rely on it and be careful since less frequently used mooring lines may be covered with barnacles.

Unavailable moorings 

Blue beehive Emergency moorings belong to the Water Police and are strictly for emergency use only.

In general, the vast majority of swing moorings in the ‘residential’ bays are ‘owned’ by individual boat owners via an annual lease and are used to permanently moor a boat. It isn’t permitted for anyone but the owner to use these moorings. These areas include:
Apple Tree Bay
Bar Point
Bayview
Berowra Waters
Bobbin Head
Bonnie Doon 
Brooklyn
Church Point
Cottage Point
Dangar Island
Elvina Bay
Great Mackerel Beach
Little Wobby Beach
Lovett Bay
McCarrs Creek
Morning Bay
Parsley Bay
Pittwater – eastern shore
Scotland Island
Spencer

For further navigational insights including maps  see ‘Gallery – Maps and Moorings’

Rest assured, moorings are summarised on maps  and in the Welcome Aboard Booklet kept on Kangaroo.